First Panamax Containership Sprints Across Arctic Reaching China In Just Three Weeks

Container ship Flying Fish 1 is close to fully loaded. (Source: Courtesy of Peter Faas)

(gCaptain) – The first Arctic transit of a large container ship has gone off without a hitch. The 294 meter-long Panamax vessel Flying Fish 1, travelled from St. Petersburg in the Baltic Sea to China in just over three weeks, shaving around two weeks off a standard voyage via the Suez Canal. 

It is set to arrive at its destination in Shanghai early on September 26. The vessel is operated by EZ Safetrans Logistics out of Hong Kong. 

The proposition of regular summer season box shipping across Russia’s Northern Sea Route seemed impossible to most just a decade ago. This year the Arctic Ocean will see close to 20 transit voyages, all connecting Russian and Chinese ports via the Arctic shortcut.

Capable of carrying 4,890 twenty-foot equivalent containers it sets a new standard for Arctic container shipping. Prior to this summer only smaller box carriers holding around 1,500-2,000 gave the Arctic shortcut a try. Over the past three months several larger feeder vessels have established a seasonal liner service between ports and China and Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg.

Flying Fish 1 departed from St. Petersburg on September 3 and entered the Northern Sea Route at the top of Novaya Zemlya a week later. Shortly thereafter it crossed paths with another Chinese container ship, the first encounter of two large box carriers high in the Arctic. The nighttime rendezvous occurred just 850 nautical miles from the North Pole, with no sea ice in sight.

The vessel was able to maintain a speed of 16 knots across the entire length of the route, indicative of how Arctic ice conditions have dramatically changed over just the last two decades. Flying Fish 1 continued through the Laptev and East Siberian Sea, avoiding some late-summer ice near Wrangel Island. 

It exited from the route and passed through the Bering Strait near Alaska on September 17, without requiring any icebreaker assistance, just six days after entering the Russian Arctic.

Once complete, its journey from the Baltic Sea to Shanghai will measure approximately 8,000 nautical miles, around 4,000 nautical miles shorter than the traditional route via the Suez Canal. The current detour for most vessels around South Africa due to instability in the Red Sea adds another 4,000 miles to the standard route to Asia. 

For now, shipping services between Europe and Asia via the North remain limited to a 3-4 months summer window, but as sea ice retreats earlier in summer and returns later in winter, more operators will surely look to the Arctic for new opportunities.

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Panama Canal to Receive Over 200 Transits by Cruise Ships This Season

Panama Canal to Receive Over 200 Transits by Cruise Ships This Season

The Panama Canal announced the transit of Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Spirit, which will kick off the 2022-2023 cruise season, with over 200 transits by new and returning cruise ships expected in the waterway this season, according to a press release.

Over the next few months, the Panama Canal will facilitate over 200 cruise ship transits, 17 more than was expected in the 2019-2020 season, including two transits by the Norwegian Encore, according to the Panama Canal.

“We anticipate a record number of Neopanamax vessel transits this year, which will help boost Panama’s tourism sector. Given our role in international trade, we are thrilled to welcome visitors from around the world to experience the Panama Canal first-hand and to discover what our country has to offer,” commented Albano Aguilar, international trade specialist, at Panama Canal.

The cruise season for the Panama Canal stretches from October to May. This season will see the return of several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean Cruises, all of which will offer passengers itineraries that include a full or partial transit of the Panama Canal.

In addition, at least 12 cruise ships are scheduled to make their first transit through the Panama Canal this season, including the Fridtjof of Nansen, Seabourn Venture, World Navigator, Celebrity Edge, Sea Cloud Spirit, World Voyager, Evrima, Le Bellot, Spirit of Adventure, Viking Neptune, Viking Octantis, and Viking Polaris.

Panama Canal Raises Rates Due to Drought Situation 

 

The Panama Canal has added new fees and changed its reservation system to counter historic drought levels.

“Due to changing rainfall patterns and historic low water levels at Gatun Lake, the main source of water for the waterway, the Panama Canal today that it will implement a series of new measures beginning February 15 to sustain an operational level of water and provide reliability to customers while it implements a long-term solution to water,” said a statement from the Panama Canal Authority.

This past year's rainfall was 20 per cent below the historic average and the fifth driest year in 70 years. It follows several years of lower than average rainfall coupled by a 10 per cent increase in water evaporation levels due to a 0.5-1.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature.

Without fee and operational changes, the Canal's water levels are projected to drop to levels that would affect the Neopanamax and Panamax Locks. These new measures are intended to better provide reliability in water levels and therefore transit schedules.

A new freshwater fee will be applied to all vessels over 125 feet in length overall (LOA) that transit through the Panama Canal, and will include the following components: A fixed fee of $10,000 per transit and a variable fee ranging from a minimum of 1 per cent to a maximum of 10 per cent of the vessel's toll will be applied depending on Gatun Lake levels at the time of transit (i.e. if the lake has a higher level, the percentage will be lower and vice versa).

The Panama Canal will adjust the number of daily reservation slots available to 27, replicating the total offered during lane outages.

The waterway will also require that each vessel pays its booking fee in full no later than 48 hours depending on the booking period.

A handling service fee will be applied to all visits for transit at the time they are created in the system. The processing fee will be applied as follows: For vessels 91 feet in beam and over: $5,000. For vessels over 125 feet LOA, but less than 91 feet in beam: $1,500.

The fee will be deducted from the vessel's tolls invoice once the vessel begins transit. If the vessel cancels the visit and does not transit, the Vessel Visit Creation Fee will not be refunded. All visits created prior to February 15, 2020 will be honoured and will not be required to pay this fee.

“The decision to adopt such measures was taken following an evaluation of the impact of innovative techniques already instituted to save water used in the Canal's operations. For example, the Panama Canal has been implementing cross-filling lockages, a technique that sends water between the two lanes at the Panamax Locks during transits and saves an amount of water equivalent to that used in six lockages each day,” the Panama Canal Authority said.

Island Princess Makes First Panama Canal Transit of New Season

The Island Princess was the first cruise ship through the Panama Canal to mark the start of the 2019-2020 season, according to a press release.

According to Senior International Trade Specialist, Albano G. Aguilar, the Canal will facilitate approximately 258 transits over the next few months, including a record-breaking number by Neopanamax vessels.

“We will see about a ten per cent increase in cruise ship transits at the Panama Canal this season in comparison to last year, a boost largely driven by Neopanamax vessels,” said Aguilar. “We are proud to play a role in Panama’s thriving tourism sector and look forward to showing off what our country has to offer to the more than 320,000 passengers visiting us from around the world this season.”

https://www.flickr.com/gp/spacejunkie/7o3Z8f
Entrance to the Panamax Canal Image by Dave Jones

The Canal expects 29 transits by Neopanamax cruise ships this season, including at least one by the Norwegian Bliss, which remains the largest cruise ship to pass through the waterway, according to a statement.

It will be preceded by its sister ship, the Norwegian Joy, which will pass through for the first time later this month.

Ten other vessels will also make their inaugural transits this season, including the Norwegian Dawn, Ponant’s Le Dumont D’uwille, P&O's Ventura, the Carnival Glory, Scenic Eclipse, Flying Clipper, Seven Seas Splendor, Hanseatic Inspiration, Hanseatic Nature and the Greg Mortimer. 

The Island Princess transited northbound earlier today having originated in Vancouver, Canada and will continue on its 21-day journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Norwegian Bliss Becomes Largest Cruise Ship to Transit the Expanded Panama Canal

Photo: Norwegian Bliss transits the Expanded Panama Canal, May 14, 2018. Photo: Panama Canal Authority

Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Bliss on Monday became the biggest cruise ship to transit the Expanded Panama Canal.

The 168,000 gross ton cruise ship has a total length of 325.9 m (1,069.2 ft), beam 41.4 m (135.8 ft) and draft of 8.3 m (27.2 ft).

Norwegian Bliss was delivered by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in March and, last month, began a 15-day itinerary from Miami, Florida, through the Panama Canal and along the west coast of North and Central America to its final destination in the Port of Los Angeles, California. The vessel will this serve the Alaska region until the end of the cruise season, after which it will reposition itself in the Caribbean.

Photo: Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal expects to receive approximately 236 cruise ships through the Panamax and Neopanamax Locks during the 2017-2018 cruise season, which officially began in October.

In April 2017, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder became the first cruise ship to transit the Expanded Canal.

Norwegian Bliss third ship of the Breakaway Plus class of the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and has the passenger capacity of about 4,000.

Photo: Panama Canal Authority

Panama Canal Gives Nod to New Pacific Port

The Panama Canal Board of Directors this week formally approved the development and construction of a transshipment port in Panama’s Corozal region.

Upon completion, the port will have the capacity to handle more than five million TEUs within a 120-hectare area at the Canal’s entrance to the Pacific. The project is now awaiting the final step for approval from Panama’s National Assembly.

The two-phased port project will include the construction of a 2,081-linear-meter-dock, a container yard, offices and warehouse facilities within a 120-hectare area owned by the Panama Canal.

The project’s first phase will include 1,350 linear meters of docks, three docking positions for Post-Panamax ships, and an approximate handling capacity of three million TEUs. Currently, the Pacific side has an estimated capacity of five million TEUs. With the expanded Canal, demand on the Pacific side is expected to reach six million TEUs and by 2020, eight million TEU capacity.

The National Assembly is expected to review the bill in the coming days. If approved, the Panama Canal will move forward with the development and tender process. The Panama Canal will issue a call for bids to hire a company that will be responsible for all stages of the project. The contract will, most likely, consist of a 20-year concession, renewable once for 20 years.

”Advancing the terminal in the Corozal region is a priority. It is part of the Panama Canal’s goal to explore and develop areas, products and services that are close to our core business, and that add substantial value to our customers as a one-stop gateway with multiple services,” said Panama Canal Administrator/CEO Jorge Luis Quijano.

The new port terminal will also include the construction of port facilities capable of handling Post-Panamax vessels. With a terminal of 16.3-meter-deep access canal and a depth of 18 meters along the dock, the new facility will provide docking facilities for five Post-Panamax ships.

Clips of My Panama Canal Transit - 

https://www.youtube.com/user/wetravel2u/videos

Photos of Our Transit and More  - 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45642696@N07/sets/72157649685216732/

Work halted on Panama Canal expansion

By Tom Stieghorst

The Panama Canal Authority said almost all activity has ceased on the project to widen the canal, amid a payments dispute with the contractor.

A consortium led by Spain’s Sacyr Vallehermoso is seeking reimbursement for cost overruns of more than $1 billion.

Two weeks of negotiations have not produced a resolution, the authority said.

Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano said the authority continues to try to find a solution, but stressed that the contractor must resume normal activity, which is critical during the dry season in Panama.

The widening project had been scheduled for completion in mid-2015. Current canal passage is not affected.

Authority assures that Panama Canal widening will be completed

By Tom Stieghorst

The Panama Canal Authority has reaffirmed its intent to finish its expansion project by mid-2015, despite a payment dispute with contractors.

A consortium led by Spanish construction company Sacyr threatened last week to suspend work on Jan. 20 if the Panama Canal Authority did not pay for $1.6 billion in cost overruns.

In a statement, the authority said its contract includes guarantees that will allow the completion of the new locks, even if it needs to step in to assume control of the project.

The authority stressed that the dispute relates only to the expansion and is not affecting current operations.

The $5.25 billion widening project will allow for longer, deeper ships to pass through the canal, which was built in 1914. The project is 72% done, the authority said.

According to Agence France-Presse, the Spanish government has begun mediating the dispute, and the Spanish minister of public works flew to Panama on Monday to talk to both sides.

Grupo Unidos por el Canal blames the cost overrun on faulty geological studies done by the authority.

In its statement, the authority said the arguments raised by Grupo "lack legal basis, are not clear and do not give any reasons for the contractor to suspend the work."

Carnival to build new Barcelona cruise terminal

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Corp. and the port of Barcelona reached an agreement on the construction of a new $27 million cruise terminal that will handle post-Panamax sized ships.

The terminal will be about 107,000 square feet, large enough to accommodate 4,500 people. It is expected to open in 2016.

Carnival already operates a terminal at the port, which will be expanded by about 14,000 square feet. Both terminals are on the Adossat Wharf.

Carnival will invest the $27 million and run the terminal as a concession. The port will invest about $2.7 million on roads and other infrastructure and about $2 million on signage.

Barcelona is the fourth-busiest cruise port in the world, with an estimated passenger volume of 2.6 million passengers this year.

Post-Panamax or over-Panamax denote ships larger than Panamax that do not fit in the canal, such as supertankers and the largest modern container ships. The "largest oil tanker in the world"—whichever ship held the title at the time—has not been able to transit the Panama Canal at least since the Idemitsu Maru was launched in the 1960s; it carried about 150,000 deadweight tons. All US Navy aircraft carriers since USS Midway have been in the post-Panamax class

Post-Panamax ships